I arrived at Hickam Air Force Base at 1600 h. I felt hot in my Trauma Surgeon uniform. Hawaii was always hot. I walked down what felt like a hundred different corridors, and finally reached my cabin. I got to shower and change before I had to clock out and leave. I was on leave for a week after a year deployment. I couldn't wait to get to Waikiki and settle into my house. The last deployment took it out of me. Coronado was always rough on medics, but this year I had too many close calls with soldiers and myself that I'd rather not think about. I walked out the front doors and into the Hawaiian air, it felt so good to be home. I hailed a taxi and relaxed for the 16 minutes it took to get to Waikiki.
Once inside my house, I took my bags into the laundry room. Had to remember to wash my uniforms, the last ones I wore hadn't been washed for a couple days. I turned and went up the stairs to the guest room I let Lola sleep in when she house sits for me. She was expecting me today, I just never told her what time.I walked into the room and she was sitting in the bed catching up on college work I'm sure she'd put off the whole week. "Hey stranger!" I said and she jumped up off the bed and ran over to me and hugged me in the biggest bear hug I think I've ever had in my life.
"Hey stranger, yourself!" She said with a shit eating grinning on her face. "How are you? Was the flight okay? Didn't get too banged up over there did ya?" She was spouting words a mile a minute.
"Okay, breathe Lolo. The flight was awful like always, really uncomfortable and cramped. I am exhausted and starving. Nothing as bad as leaving by best friend for a year." I told her with a sigh. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Oh Lolo, no. I'm okay! Just happy to finally be home." I told her with a smile.
"Just every time you leave I worry, you know? I know, I know you're okay blah blah blah. But it's the damn military Nala. You couldn't be happy saving lives in a hospital?" she asked exasperated. I walked down the stairs to the kitchen and started some coffee. I got down two mugs from the cabinet and sat down at the table. Lola sat across from me for awhile just staring at me like she'd met for the very first time.
"Look Lo, you know. I know you know. You're the only one. You understand, you get me. You're the only person who stuck by me, and you called Special Agent Montgomery because you knew he would help. I have to keep doing this until I know everything. You know why I'm in the military." She was the only one who helped me when I had no one else and when I needed everyone the most. She was my best friend for a reason. She means everything to me and she needed protection as much as I did.
